Ann Cooper Whitall

Ann Cooper Whitall. Women’s Heritage Trail. , Ann Cooper Whitall lived in this brick home on the banks of the Delaware River with her husband, James, and their children. On October 22, 1777, British ships occupied the waters of the Delaware River, and local residents of the towns along the river were urged to leave their homes to find a safe haven. Ann Cooper Whitall refused to leave her home, even at the urging of her own family. A devout Quaker, Whitall instead placed her trust in God, and remained working at her spinning wheel as the battle raged around her. When a cannonball suddenly burst into the room where she was sitting, Whitall picked up her spinning wheel and moved it to the basement where she continued her work. Later that evening, after a victory for the American troops, Ann Cooper Whitall ministered to the wounded and dying Hessian soldiers earning herself the nickname “the Heroine of Red Bank.”, Two topics occupied Ann’s diaries: her faith and her family. Excerpt from Diary: “Ann Cooper Whitall’s Great Grand Daughter Hannah Whitall Smith suggested that before we “smile at the quaintness, let us see to it at least that we are equally earnest in our longings after righteousness.”. , ( Sidebar : ) , The James and Ann Whitall House is on the NJ Women’s Heritage Trail because of the significant contributions of Revolutionary War Heroine and Diarist Ann Cooper Whitall (1716-1797) to the domestic life of women in the State of New Jersey., The New Jersey Women’s Heritage Trail highlights a collection of historic sites located around the state that represent the significant contributions women made to the history of our state. The Heritage Trail brings to life the vital role of women in New Jersey’s past and present.